Childhood Again
by MaddyPaws
Summary: De-aging story. Emily, JJ and Morgan are turned into children during their latest case! Read the story to find out how they (and the rest of the team) cope. No pairings only friendship fluff.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I don't own any of them.

This story will feature my favourite team (Hotch, Rossi, Morgan, Emily, JJ and Reid) There is no particular season that I am looking at. Haley and Jack exist but they are in protective custody. Will and Henry don't exist.

This is a de-aging story and most of my inspirations came from Turning back time by Maxandkiz as well as I kid you not! by ev1lregal.

* * *

Twin SUVs pulled up outside an abandoned warehouse and the 6 profilers in charge of the case got out of the vehicles. The team is currently in Las Vegas pursuing an Unsub who was responsible for the death of 5 children who had no identities; or so the local police had initially thought. With further digging and checks courtesy of Garcia, they realised that they were not without identities. In fact, they were not even children (before the unsub got to them)! Garcia managed to run their fingerprints through the system, matching them to 5 adults– Barry Davis, Kelly Auburns, Randy Evans, Sam Brown and Jessica Adams.

After working tirelessly for the past 4 days, they managed to find a connection between the 5 victims. They had all signed up to be experiment subjects of one Ben Watkins. The retired doctor was previously fired by his hospital for trying to coerce his patients to be subjects of his experiments. But it looks like the doctor had managed to find new subjects on his own.

"JJ, Morgan and Prentiss take the basement. Rossi and Reid, you're with me." Hotch ordered, as the team prepared to raid the abandoned warehouse where their unsub was hiding at. "Be careful." He added, "We still have no idea how he managed to de-age his victims."

Rossi, Reid and Hotch trudged carefully into the large warehouse, with Rossi heading up the stairs on the left while Reid took the right. Hotch stayed on the first floor, surveying the empty space, trying to find for clues. Suddenly, a gunshot followed by a scream was heard. Rossi and Reid dashed down the stairs to find Hotch looking around on high alert. "Basement" he said, before any of the agents could speak.

"Was that JJ?" Reid asked, concerned. "I'm pretty sure I heard a gunshot Aaron" Rossi added as the 3 rushed down the stairs to find their remaining teammates. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they saw smoke billowing out from the small door that marked the entrance of the basement. "Cough... Cough… Morgan? JJ? Prentiss?" Hotch called out as he squinted his eyes through the smoke, using his left hand to clear the smoke in front of him. However, when he managed to get a glimpse of what was in front of him, the BAU leader was stunned. In front of them were the 3 agents who had turned into children.

"What the…." Rossi mumbled as he took in the sight in front of him. There was no doubt that the 3 children in front of them were JJ, Morgan and Emily. Despite looking like kids, they were all covered in clothes that they were wearing earlier in the day. Before the 3 men could make another move, the kids were wide awake. "Hotch… What happened?" a 10-year-old version of Morgan asked. "We got de-aged didn't we?" a small voice belonging to Emily piped up.

From what the 3 men could see, Morgan was about 10, Emily, 6 and youngest, JJ was only about 3. Finally, Hotch got out of his stupor and walked towards the 3 kids. He bent down to pick up the guns before stopping at JJ to pick her up. Ignoring the small protest from the girl, the BAU leader removed the Kevlar vest and made sure the white shirt she was wearing was long enough to cover her properly. He turned towards the rest of his team who were still in shock. "Rossi, Reid help Morgan and Emily out of this place. We will discuss about this outside."

Like Hotch, Rossi moved to pick Emily up. However, unlike JJ who gave in to her boss, Emily was ready to put up a fight. "There is no way that you are carrying me out of this place Rossi." Emily challenged, giving Rossi what she thought was a death stare. However, it only turned out to be a cute side eye, which made Rossi -and Reid- snigger slightly. This did not sit well with the feisty brunette as she stomped her foot on the floor. Unknowingly, tears sprung in her eyes and she looked like any 6-year-old who was ready to cry.

This made Reid and Rossi guilty as they looked at each other, thinking of ways to calm Emily. Morgan who was quiet throughout the exchange stepped in to help the men.

"Emily, you can no longer fit in your shoes. You wouldn't want to walk out of this place barefooted right? Besides, you could take this opportunity to rope Rossi into buying new shoes for you." He whispered the last part to Emily, knowing how much she loved her shoes.

Thinking about the new suede boots that she can get – or rather sparkly sneakers (now that she was a child), Emily relented, lifting her arms. Silently thanking Morgan, Rossi picked the light brunette into his arms, patting Reid on his shoulders as if to say "Good luck with the tough one now."

To Reid's surprise, Morgan was more than willing for Reid to take him out the place, and unlike the girls, he was not going to be shy to hitch a ride. Before Reid could even speak, Morgan had ordered him to turn around. "Turn around?" Reid asked, puzzledly. "Yes, of course. How do you think you're going to give me a piggy back if you're facing me?" Morgan replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

* * *

Outside, Hotch had gotten JJ strapped into the backseat of the SUV, noting that she was way too small to ride on her own at the moment. The BAU leader had stepped out of the SUV, not before covering her up in his jacket as he pondered his next move.

He was deep in thought when Rossi and Reid came out of the warehouse carrying Emily and Morgan respectively. "Was there an issue? Why did you guys take so long?" Hotch questioned as Rossi strapped Emily into the seat beside JJ. "Do not even –" Rossi started, before a "I wasn't being that difficult" from Emily was heard. Looking at the exchange between the 2 agents, Hotch decided to drop the question.

"Hotch, you know that JJ is too small to ride in the seat on her own right? In fact it's actually against the law for children …." Reid said as he put Morgan down in the back of the SUV. However, before he could finish the sentence, Hotch interjected, "Now's not the time Reid. And since you've addressed the issue, JJ is riding on your lap to the hospital."

"The hospital Hotch? I don't think we should go to the hospital now. The media would have a field day if they even catch the slightest whiff that FBI agents are turned into children. They did not even know that the victims were adults-turned-children!" Rossi replied.

"Alright then, Rossi and Reid, bring them back to the hotel and I will head back to the station." Before Rossi or Reid could argue that they were not the types for baby-sitting, Hotch had already taken the other SUV.

"Agent Hotchner! You've got a parcel. It's in the room that your team is using." A local police officer said as Hotch stepped into the station. "A parcel?" Hotch raised his eyebrows. He was not expecting anything and no one other than the FBI knew that the team was here. They had hardly made a statement to the press about the case this time round.

True to the officer's words, there was a parcel in the middle of the table. Hotch walked towards the medium sized box and opened it cautiously. There was nothing else in the box other than a small note. The note said, "To the BAU: Hotch, find me for the cure. Only one can be chosen. Make the decision fast. End one of their childhoods now." Ben Watkins have given them a riddle to find him.

* * *

Back in the hotel, Reid and Rossi were surprisingly good at getting the kids settled and comfortable. After recovering from the initial shock of being de-aged, they were now in between the stages of denial and acceptance of their new physical appearances.

JJ had fallen asleep on the way back to the hotel, her head lolled on Reid's chest as he held her protectively on his lap. Emily was also nearly asleep, but due to her age, she was better at fighting off sleep. When they reached the hotel, Reid had shifted JJ, carrying her up as he got out of the car while holding the door open for Morgan. Rossi took care of Emily, lifting her into his arms despite her soft protests.

"Just go to sleep Emily." Rossi said softly.

He smiled to himself as he felt her head drop onto his shoulders and the weight in his arms getting heavier.

Reid and Rossi decided to head into Rossi's room as they got the 2 girls settled into the large bed in the middle. Morgan had adamantly refused to take a nap, arguing that he was an adult who "did not need naps".

Seeing that the pre-teen was not going to settle down any time soon, Rossi decided to ask him what exactly happened in the basement.

"We went down, and Watkins was there, ready with a gun and a gas mask. He shot the gas which made us all pass out. I only remember hearing JJ scream and a slight pinch before I passed out." Morgan relayed.

"Well, at least now we know how he de-aged his victims. Gas and injections." Rossi said. "Let's hope that Hotch has more to work with."

"Guys, don't you think we should tell Garcia about this?" Reid said as he tried to liven the sudden silence that fell. "I think she would like to know that her teammates are de-aged. Imagine the shopping that she will do!" The last statement was directed at Morgan who in turn looked at the genius in horror. "No,she wouldn't!"

"I heard she is quite into bold colours nowadays." Rossi added with a smirk as he whipped out his cell to give Garcia a call.

"Hello. Rossi? How did the raid go? Did you manage to get the sick, twisted doctor?"

"Um Garcia, see something happened at the warehouse." Rossi said.

"Something happened? What happened? Did something happen to one of you guys? I'm coming. Which hospital are you at now–" Garcia rambled on as she stood up from her seat, ready to book the first flight to Las Vegas.

"Calm down baby girl. Everything's fine." Morgan shouted, eliciting a stare from Rossi as Emily stirred in her sleep.

"Rossi? Who is that sweet child calling me baby girl?" Before Rossi could explain the situation, Garcia squealed, "Don't tell me my chocolate god of thunder is a child now. He is isn't he?"

"Yes Garcia, and so are JJ and Emily." Reid added. "Morgan's 10, Emily's 6 and JJ's only 3."

"They are all children? You are telling me that I get not one, not two but THREE furry little friends to shop for? Ok this is it. The stores are calling for me. Tell Hotch I will be downtown shopping for them." With that, the BAU tech analyst put down the phone, leaving the 2 men and 1 child to look among themselves.

"Well that went well." Morgan said.

* * *

A/N: Please review. Be kind this is my first fanfiction. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter (:


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I don't own any of them.

A/N: Thank you all for your kind reviews! I have added a sentence in Chapter 1 to update Garcia on the ages of the kids. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter too!

* * *

It was an hour later when JJ woke up. Rossi, Reid and Morgan were at the table discussing about the case when they heard the blonde stirring. The 3 stopped their discussion immediately, waiting to see what the toddler would do. The 3-year-old sat up on the bed slowly, rubbing her eyes before looking around wildly.

Suddenly, a soft sob escaped her mouth. JJ was clearly afraid about waking up in an unfamiliar environment. The pitiful scene of a toddler craving for familiar comfort set Rossi into motion. He walked quickly to the bed and scooped the disoriented girl into his arms.

"It's okay JJ, you're fine. You are in my room with the rest of the team." Rossi soothed immediately, bouncing the girl slightly as he brought her to the table.

Reid and Morgan looked on in shock. This was not the reaction that they were expecting from JJ. However, they knew that this was not the adult JJ at play. Throwing their concern about JJ being unlike adult-JJ was thrown to the back of their heads as they soothed JJ in their own ways.

"Hey JJ, look at me! I'm a kid too. It's fine. We will be fine. Hotch will find the son of a bi- Watkins and we will be back to normal." Morgan said quickly. After a few more sobs and pats from Rossi, JJ calmed down considerably. She lay quietly in Rossi's arm, sucking her thumb. As she started calming down, the adult JJ in her started to fill her conscious mind and she jumped slightly out of Rossi's arms, snatching her thumb out of her mouth.

Wiping her saliva-covered thumb on her shirt, JJ immediately apologized, "Oh god guys. I'm not suwe what's happening to me. My emotions awe all over the pwace. It's like I'm thwee again!"

"JJ, I know you just woke up, but you are kinda 3 again." Morgan replied slowly, as if scared to make the blonde cry again.

"But it's fine. We will take care of you JJ. I'm sure that Hotch will find a cure for all of you." Reid added quickly, "And if he can't, I have an IQ of 187 remember? I'd probably be able to come out with a cure for you." The last statement managed to get a soft smile and laugh out of JJ and Morgan.

"What did I *yawn* miss?" Emily said from her position on the bed. Before anyone could answer, she looked down at her too-large shirt that was now more like a dress. "It wasn't a dream was it?" she said sadly.

"No, it isn't Emily. But Weid says that he will make a ture (cure) for us." JJ said, giggling.

"Oh my god JJ, you are so cute! I just wanna squish you!" Emily said as she threw the duvet off her and rushed to her de-aged friend. "At least we are de-aged together." She said.

"Misery likes company doesn't it." Rossi replied.

A soft knock at the door stopped all the conversations. Reid stood up to open the door.

"Hey Reid, how have they been?" Hotch asked as he brought in the bags that he had been holding, putting them on the floor next to the table.

"They are sitting right here, and they have been good." Morgan replied, sounding a little offended.

"Right. Sorry Morgan. Here, these are some clothes that you can wear." Hotch said, trying to change the topic. He bent to pick the rest of the bags and turned to the girls. "And here are yours."

Knowing that there was an item in the bag which may cause JJ to not be very happy about, Hotch tactfully suggested that he brought them back to their own rooms where they could have a little privacy.

* * *

In JJ and Emily's room, the profiler took out a plain T-shirt and jeans and passed it to Emily who took it gratefully. She was extremely thankful that her boss had chosen a plain looking outfit. She shuddered at the thought of what she could be wearing had it been Garcia who did the shopping.

With Emily settled, Hotch turned to JJ and passed her another set of clothing – a plain yellow dress and a pull-up. JJ looked at the garment her boss held in his hands and her jaw dropped.

"I'm not a baby you know Hotch," she said softy.

Hotch looked closely at his agent, thinking how he was going to explain to her that in her current predicament, pull-ups are a precaution which might very well turn into a need.

He picked JJ up and set her on the bed, bending down so that they were of the same height.

"JJ…" He cleared his throat, "I know that this is not easy. I know that you are embarrassed, but you know that this is something we have to do now." He reasoned with her softly.

Thumbing away the tear drops that fell on her cheeks, Hotch continued, "I promise you that once we are sure you are uhm... potty trained, we will get you something more appropriate."

JJ looked down at the garment before looking up into her boss' eyes. Knowing that it was futile to argue with the man, JJ held out her pinky and whispered, "pwomise?"

"Promise."

Hotch turned around to give JJ some privacy as she changed into her new outfit. As he stared at the wall in front of him, Hotch mused about the promise that he made to his de-aged agent. Deep down, Hotch knew that this promise was not only about the pull-ups. It was a promise to his agents that he was going to find the man who did this to them and age them all back to normal. Yet, with only the note in hand, he knew that this promise might be one that he would be forced to break.

"I'm ready" A soft voice called from behind him.

Turning around, Hotch couldn't help but smile. JJ sure was adorable as a child.

The toilet door opened, and Emily walked out, looking a lot more comfortable now that she was in clothes that fit right.

"Let's go back to Rossi's room, we still have a case to solve." Hotch said as he held the door for the girls.

* * *

Back in Rossi's room, the team crowded around the table with the kids sitting on the bed. The team had casefiles strewn all over the place as they tried to look for the smallest of clues which could give them an idea of where Watkins might be.

"Watkins escaped through a trap door at the back of the warehouse. Local PD was unable to find him. They have combed through the area, but nothing stood out." Hotch updated the team.

"I received a note from Watkins back at the station." He continued, passing around the picture of the note to the rest of the team.

"Hotch find me for the cure. Only one can be chosen. Make the decision fast. End one of their childhoods now." Emily rattled on as she read the note.

"Only one can be chosen? Is he only going to pwovide the cuwe for one of us?" JJ asked. The 3 children turned to look at one another with horrified eyes.

"The cure wasn't sent with the note. He wants us to go to him for the cure. Local PD has already issued an APB but they have yet to find him." Hotch said solemnly.

"Cocky, isn't he?" Rossi said, staring at the note.

"Hey guys, I don't think he is even in Vegas anymore…" Reid said as he scrunched his eyebrow, cocking his head to one side.

"If I'm right, I think he is back in Quantico waiting for us."

Looking at their confused faces, Reid continued, "Look at the note carefully. See how he addresses it to the entire team before addressing it just to Hotch? I think he did it on purpose."

"Look at the way each sentence is written, it is not his style of writing. Focus on the first letter of each sentence."

"H-O-M-E," JJ read off.

"Pretty boy's right! Come on guys. Let's go! Watkin's waiting for us, we need to –" Morgan shrieked, jumping onto his feet and pulling onto Emily's hand. "We can't leave now Morgan." Hotch cut him off midsentence.

Looking at the frown that crossed the young agent's face, Hotch said with a smile, "It's dinner time now. I'll call the pilot. We'll leave after dinner."

Turning to Rossi and Reid, Hotch ordered, "Reid, I need you back at the station, there are some loose ends we need to tie up. Rossi get the kids ready and pack the bags. We will meet at the jet."

* * *

A/N: How's this chapter? There will be more focus on the kids in the future chapters. Please Review!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I don't own any of them.

A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews! (: As some of you have pointed out, I tagged the wrong character in my story (Elizabeth Prentiss) but I have already made changes to it. This is a pretty short chapter but I hope you guys enjoy in nonetheless.

* * *

"Try and get some sleep Morgan," Hotch ordered softly. He sighed when he saw the stubborn profiler shake his head.

Looking down at the small bundle in his arms, he gestured for Reid to settle Morgan. He had spent a good half an hour rocking JJ to sleep, he was not about to risk waking her up.

Looking over at the couch, Hotch couldn't help but smile a little when he saw Rossi covering a sleeping Emily with a blanket. No matter how much the older profiler said he wasn't ready to be a father, he was good with children. The look he had in his eyes betrayed his words.

"Hey Morgan, it's late, why don't you try and get some sleep. Your body needs it." Reid said softly as he took a seat beside Morgan.

"Morgan?" Reid probed further as Morgan continued looking out of the window.

"I just need some space alright?" Morgan snapped, a little harsher than he expected. Looking at the hurt that flashed across the genius' face, Morgan grimaced.

"I'm sorry Reid. It's just…. hard" Morgan said with a sigh. "What are we going to do now? I have a family to take care of. I'm supposed to be the man of the family. I can't expect my mother to take care of a 10-year-old all over again. And my apartment, my job and Clooney. What's going to happen? You and I both know that Strauss isn't going to take the news very well."

Reid looked at the kid who he thought of as a big brother. "We will find Watkins soon Morgan. We will get the cure, and everything will be back to normal. I promise you. And in the meantime, you can stop being the big brother for once and maybe let us take care of you." Looking at the raised eyebrows, Reid continued, "Remember how you told me I don't always have to be a genius? You don't always have to be the muscles. We are a family."

Morgan smiled. While this was hard for him, JJ and Emily, he knew it was equally hard on the other agents too. To see their fellow agents being subjects of their unsub's experiments and having to take care of them while answering to the Bureau, they had enough on their plates too. So, he did the only thing he felt was appropriate.

"Blow it up?" Morgan asked as he stretched out his fist. "Always" Reid replied, hitting his fist against the kid's.

"Get some shut eye ok? We still have a couple hours before we land." Seeing Morgan lower himself into the seat, the resident genius took a blanket to cover the boy before heading to the back of the jet to sit with Hotch and Rossi.

"How's Emily and JJ?" Reid asked as he took a seat beside Rossi.

"Sleeping peacefully." Rossi whispered watching the 2 girls who were squeezed together on the small couch.

"How do you think they are holding up?" Rossi said, breaking the silence that fell.

"I think they are doing the best that they can. They don't seem to be too affected actually." Hotch replied. He was proud of how his agents were holding up. He could see how hard the agents are trying to fight their childish instincts and not let it affect them.

"This is actually what I'm worried about." Reid piped up. "You see, a kid's emotional capacity is different from that of an adult. They are currently operating on an adult's brain and a kid's emotions. It isn't healthy for them. They can try to suppress their childish instincts as much as possible, but it will get confusing. Take for example JJ. No matter how strong her adult mind is, she involuntarily gives in to her childish instincts when she's scared or disoriented. She will have the same behaviour as children her age – wetting the bed, crying when she's left alone, overreacting when she falls. As time pass and they get used to their child emotions, we can expect a lot more childish behaviour from them."

"So, you are saying that JJ will soon behave like a 3-year-old?" Hotch prompted.

"Yes and no. She will be easier to handle than most 3 years old considering that she still has her adult mind in her. But, the childish instincts belonging to a 3-year-old will surface. We just have to learn and observe when that happens. It's hard to say at this moment."

"What about Morgan and Emily? Other than needing help because of their physical size, they are pretty much the same as their adult selves." Rossi added.

"That's because Emily and Morgan are older. They are 6 and 10 respectively. Emotionally, they are more like adults as compared to JJ. But I do expect childish outbursts from them as well. Just probably on a smaller scale and more acquitted to their respective ages." Reid explained.

"Which reminds me Hotch, where are they going to stay? Even though they have their adult minds I don't think it will be good for them to stay on their own." Reid asked.

"I've thought about it. We will each bring one of them home tonight. I suggest that JJ follows me home tonight. Only my house is fitted for a toddler."

"You take Morgan and I get Emily?" Rossi said to the genius. Looking at how well Reid managed to take care of Morgan, he knew that it would do both Reid and Morgan good that they bunked together.

"Well that's settled then. Reid will have Morgan and Rossi will take Emily. I've talked to Strauss about the situation and she's not happy about it. We have to be in tomorrow morning so try to get some sleep. It'll be a long day tomorrow." Hotch said.

* * *

It was a little over midnight when the jet touched down in Quantico. Being a light sleeper, Hotch was the first one to wake. He took a minute to look around the jet.

JJ and Emily were still sleeping soundly on the couch with Emily wrapping her arm protectively over the younger agent as they squeezed together in a tight ball. The blanket that Rossi had tucked them in with was on the floor in a small heap.

Reid had fallen asleep in the seat next to Morgan. Sometime during the flight, Morgan had woken up complaining about the lack of a pillow before lying his head comfortably in the genius' lap.

"Isn't it funny to see Reid being the older brother now?" Rossi called out from behind him.

Whipping his head around, Hotch gave a small smile. "I think Reid appreciates the fact that he is no longer the baby of the team. Time to head home old man. Good luck chasing after a 6-year-old."

Without giving Rossi an opportunity to respond, Hotch walked over to the small couch at the other end of the jet. He gently moved Emily's arm and slowly extracted JJ from her tight grip. However, the sudden loss of body contact caused both JJ and Emily to stir. Unfortunately, Hotch's best efforts at soothing them back to sleep failed and he was surrounded by 2 cranky and disoriented girls.

"JJ? Where are you?" Emily whined.

"Thank you so much Hotch," Rossi mumbled as he made his way quickly to comfort Emily.

"It's fine kiddo. Hotch's just bringing JJ home." Rossi soothed.

"Oh *yawn* and what about Morgan and me? Are you giving me a ride back?" Emily said as she yawned deeply.

"Uhm kiddo, you can't exactly stay at home on your own now. But yes, I'm giving you a ride home because you are coming home with me." Rossi said carefully.

Looking at Rossi, Emily let out another big yawn. "All right, only for tonight and it's just because I'm too tired to argue."

Giving a small chuckle, Rossi stood up and picked up both his and Emily's bags. "Let's go then, bambino. Say goodbye to the rest."

Emily got up from her comfortable spot on the couch, gave a small wave to everyone and a big hug to a sniffling JJ before following Rossi out of the plane.

"It's time for us to leave too." Hotch announced as he balanced JJ on his hip and carried the 2 go bags in the other hand. "Remember to be in the office at 9 tomorrow." He said to Reid before leaving the jet.

* * *

A/N: How was this chapter? Should I still continue writing this story? Please R&R!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I don't own any of them.

* * *

After a short drive, Hotch pulled into his driveway. He switched off the engine and climbed out of the car. Opening the trunk of the car, Hotch took out the 2 go-bags before opening the back door to retrieve his precious charge.

Unlike on the jet, JJ did not fuss at the change in position and even curled into the strong chest that was holding her when Hotch laid her head gently on his shoulder. Patting her back, Hotch walked quickly into the house, intent on getting some sleep himself before the meeting in the morning.

Hotch placed the go-bags in the living room and took out the necessary clothes he needed for JJ before heading up to Jack's room on the second floor. Opening the bedroom door, Hotch couldn't help but feel a small clench in his chest.

How long has it been since someone had occupied this room?

Shaking away the sudden empty feeling, Hotch lowered JJ gently onto the bed and got to changing her into her pyjamas. After he was done, Hotch covered her with the soft dinosaur print blanket and placed a small teddy bear beside the blonde. He smiled when JJ immediately hugged it close to her. Once he was sure that she was settled for the night, Hotch stood up slowly and closed the door before heading back to his own room.

* * *

It was not long before Hotch heard a loud cry coming from the bedroom. Sitting up, Hotch looked around to get his bearings straight. Hearing another soft cry, Hotch scrambled out of bed and ran quickly into Jack's room.

In Jack's room, JJ was sitting up with tears streaming down her face. In her arms close to her chest was the soft toy bear that Hotch placed beside her. Fatherly instincts kicking in, Hotch made his way quickly to the little girl, intent on picking her up to comfort her. However, as Hotch got closer to her, JJ hugged her arms around her knees, pushing the teddy bear in front of her. The sobs started to soften but from where Hotch was standing, he could see that JJ had not stopped crying. She was just crying silently.

"JJ? It's just me. It's Hotch." Hotch said gently.

"H-H-otch?" JJ whispered uncertainly.

"It's just me JJ. Why don't you come out from under those sheets, so you can get a good look?" Turning on the lights Hotch looked at JJ carefully, waiting for the blonde to react.

Slowly, a blonde tuff of hair came out from under the sheets as JJ lowered the blanket that was covering her. She peeked cautiously from the sheets. Once she was sure that it was just Hotch, the blonde pushed the blankets down and lifted her arms, a silent plea to be picked up.

Hotch immediately walked towards the bed, lifting the girl into his arms as tears continued streaming down her already red and tear-stricken face.

"Shhh… It's okay JJ. You're okay. Did you have a nightmare?" Hotch cooed softly, running a hand through the sweaty locks.

"This was probably what Reid meant when he said that JJ would revert back to being a 3 year old." Hotch mused.

"It was d-dark and I-I didn't know wh-wh-ere I w-a-as" JJ said through her tears.

When Hotch heard her confession, he mentally berated himself. He was a father, he knew how scared Jack was of the dark when he was her age.

"I'm so sorry JJ, I forgot to set up the night light." Hotch said remorsefully. He continued to rub her back gently until only an occasional sniffle or hiccup could be heard. "It's still early, why don't you try and get some more sleep and I will get the night light from the basement."

However, JJ had other plans. She shook her head furiously and tightened her hold on Hotch's shirt as he tried to lower her onto the bed.

"C-can I sweep (sleep) in your room instead?" JJ murmured softly, avoiding his eyes, embarrassed to make such a request. She knew she was acting like her physical age but sleeping alone now was not an option.

"Sure thing," Hotch lifted the light girl back into his arms and made his way back to his room. "Anything to get more sleep," he thought.

Back in his room, Hotch placed JJ on the bed before climbing into the spot beside her. "Go to sleep sweetie," Hotch said as he rubbed her back soothingly trying to get her to sleep. It wasn't long before both Hotch and JJ were off to dreamland.

-break-

"Hey Rossi *yawn* what do you think is *yawn* going to happen to us?" Emily asked from the backseat of Rossi's car.

Looking into his rear-view mirror, Rossi shook his head. Emily was clearly tired and on the verge of sleeping, yet she was adamant about bombarding him with 101 why questions.

"As I've said just 2 minutes ago, I'm not sure kiddo. Why don't you go to sleep now, and you'll know tomorrow?" Rossi replied.

"I can't sleep *yawn*. I NEED to know before I can *yawn* sleep." Emily whined.

"Are all 6-year-olds so inquisitive?" Rossi mumbled under his breath. Knowing that she was not going to let this issue slide, Rossi thought carefully before answering, "I wasn't lying when I said I didn't know Emily. But I guess Erin wouldn't be too happy to lose 3 agents and the bureau will set up a small research team to deal with this problem. But-" Not hearing the small voice from behind him, Rossi turned to look into the rear-view mirror. The sight that greeted him left a smile on his face.

Emily had fallen asleep halfway through his explanation and her head was lolling against the seat belt which was the only thing holding her upright.

"So much for being unable to sleep without an answer" he thought with a smile.

* * *

Half an hour later, Rossi pulled into the driveway of his mansion and got ready to get Emily out of the back of his car. He opened the car door and reached in to get the de-aged profiler.

However, when he reached into the car, he was surprised to see a pair of bleary eyes staring back at him.

"Weren't you sleeping kiddo?" Rossi asked, surprised.

Rubbing her eyes blearily, Emily looked at Rossi and shook her head. "I was *yawn* just taking a short nap *yawn* I'm not sleepy anymore."

"Sure you're not." Rossi said sarcastically. "Come on then, we don't have all day" Rossi said as he opened the car door for her, pushing her gently into the large entrance of his home.

"Woah Rossi, how much do you actually earn?" Emily asked in awe as she looked around the large mansion.

"Enough for me to afford this place." Rossi replied. "Let me show you to your room."

Rossi led Emily up to the first bedroom on the second floor. Nudging her into the en-suite bathroom, Rossi passed Emily her a set of pyjamas and essentials. "You'll be okay on your own right?" Rossi asked unsurely. He didn't know much about 6-year-olds. Do they still need help changing?

"I'm an adult Rossi. I'll be fine. You can wait outside" Emily said, pushing him out of the bathroom.

After a few minutes, Emily walked out of the bathroom wearing a pink striped pyjama.

"All right bambino. Time for bed." Rossi said as he lowered the duvet.

"I told you, I'm not sleepy."

"I heard you and I know it's a lie." Rossi said pointedly. "Why are you so adamant about not going to sleep? Adult or child, you know you need sleep."

Trudging over, Emily sat on the bed, biting her lips. It wasn't that she wasn't tired. If anything, she was about to fall asleep on her feet. But she knew that she was also the most vulnerable during her sleep. During the day, it was easy to control her childish instincts. Her logical mind was conscious enough to push those thoughts away. However, that changed when she was tired. And it is the worst when she sleeps. What if she had a nightmare in the middle of the night? She knew her current physical body wouldn't react well. She could scream or worse, cry.

Seeing the inner turmoil his co-worker was going through, Rossi took a seat beside her.

"You okay kiddo?" he asked gently.

"I-I don't know how to do this." Emily confessed, albeit unwillingly.

Looking at her, Rossi's heart clenched. He was not the closest to her in the team, but he knew how independent she was. Growing up as the ambassador's daughter, she was mostly left to minders and the concept of family was not familiar to her. She was never one to show her fear, constantly putting up a brave front no matter how tough the situation got. Yet here she was, trying to confide him.

"Hey listen to me kiddo, you'll be alright. You have us here. You don't have to know how to do this. We will work something out together alright?" Thinking back of what Reid said in the jet, Rossi continued, "I know it's hard to be an adult in a kid's body. It's tough to have all these logical thoughts and childish emotions at the same time but we are here to help you through this. If you feel like you need a hug, just come to us and we will give you one. Don't be afraid to show your kid side. Just take this as your second childhood."

"But with your family this time" Rossi added with an afterthought.

Looking into his eyes, Emily smiled. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she would be having this conversation with Rossi.

Leaning over, she gave Rossi one of the biggest hugs a 6-year-old could. "Thank you." Emily whispered into his shoulders. Rossi gave her a tight squeeze in return.

"Why don't we get back into bed now? It's late and I would like to be conscious when we face Erin in the morning." Rossi said, pulling the duvet over his small charge and giving her one last pat on the head before walking out of the room.

"Goodnight Rossi" Emily called from the bed. "Thanks for everything"

"No problem kiddo. Have a good rest. Remember, I'm just down the corridor wake me up if you need anything alright?" Rossi replied.

* * *

Lucky for Rossi, Emily slept through the night – or rather early morning- and by the time he woke up, the sun was up and it was time to head back to the office.

Peeking into Emily's room, he was happy to see the little girl still snuggled under the covers. Wanting to let her have a little more sleep, the aged profiler headed downstairs to prepare breakfast.

He was midway through preparing his famous chocolate chip pancakes when he heard the pitter patter of small feet coming down the stairs. Without even turning around, Rossi called out, "I'm in the kitchen. Breakfast is ready."

Smacking her lips, Emily climbed onto the chair in front of the counter. "Wow Rossi, I didn't know you could make chocolate chip pancakes."

"There's a lot of things you do not know about me. Now, quickly have some of these delicious pancakes. We only have about an hour to get ready."

Hearing that, Emily immediately gobbled down the plate of pancakes.

After breakfast, the duo headed back to their respective rooms to wash up.

"Ready kiddo?" Rossi asked as he grabbed his jacket.

"Yup, just a minute." Emily called out, appearing behind the old profiler a second later fumbling with her jacket. Wordlessly, Rossi took her jacket from her and arranged it for the raven to slip her arms in. The duo then headed back to Rossi's car. It was time to face the bureau.

* * *

A/N: To all the Morgan/Reid fans, I'm sorry I didn't include Morgan/Reid in this chapter but I promise they will appear more in the next few chapters. As usual, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please R&R. Thanks!


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